Zero Foodprint Asia

What Zero Foodprint Asia does

Zero Foodprint Asia (ZFPA) is a Hong Kong-registered tax-exempt charitable non-profit (section 88 of the HK Inland Revenue Ordinance, IR No. 91/18167), founded in 2021 and operating with approximately five employees as the Asian affiliate of the global Zero Foodprint network. The organization runs a "table-to-farm" crowdfunding model in which restaurants, cafes, bars, and food retailers pledge 1% of sales through an opt-out customer surcharge or menu price increase; pooled funds are disbursed annually via the Restore Fund to smallholder farmers across Hong Kong, Thailand, Nepal, the Philippines, and Malaysia who are transitioning to regenerative practices such as the Complex Rice System (CRS), agroforestry, composting, cover cropping, and managed grazing.

The core product surface comprises the 1% Pledge Program (B2B fundraiser), the Restore Fund (annual grant disbursement of up to USD 25,000 per project), and regional grant products tied to country-specific projects (Wawee Valley Foundation in Thailand, Regenerative Model Farm Hub in Malaysia, Astungkara Way in Bali, Green Intelligence in Nepal, Tribes & Natures Defenders in the Philippines, and Restore in Action for Hong Kong). Supporting the grant program is a Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) network, soil health consultants (Homeland Green, Living Soil Asia), academic partners (CUHK, Wageningen, Brawijaya University, Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak), and measurement frameworks (FAO TAPE, COMET Planner, SHI, RECSOIL). Documentation and outreach include an annual impact report, a podcast series, a documentary, and event participation.

Revenue mechanics combine enterprise pledges (e.g., Hyatt Hotels Hong Kong exclusively funding Wawee Valley), long-tail restaurant opt-out surcharges across 100+ partner venues, individual donations via Stripe (one-time and monthly tiers at USD $20/$50/$100 presets), bank transfers (HSBC, FPS), and time-bound campaign collaborations (Earth Month, menu-item proceeds). ZFPA reports that more than 80% of restaurant-generated funds flow directly to farmers, with cumulative grants of HKD 8.35M across 33 farm projects, 100,000+ acres in transition, 780+ farmers engaged, and 35,000+ tonnes potential CO2 sequestration.

Name

Zero Foodprint Asia

Legal name

Zero Foodprint Asia

Website

https://zerofoodprintasia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zero Foodprint Asia is a Hong Kong-registered non-profit (founded 2021) that crowdfunds from food businesses via a 1% Pledge program to fund smallholder farmers across Asia transitioning to regenerative agriculture, with active projects in Hong Kong, Thailand, Nepal, Philippines, and Malaysia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regenerative Agriculture Funding Services

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate-Smart Farming & GHG Reduction (Emissions Accounting, Methane/N2O Reduction Practices) (AFAGAMAH), Resilient Livelihoods & Climate-Smart Food Security (BPADAJAH)

Keywords

• Regenerative agriculture funding
• Restaurant pledge programs
• Smallholder farmer grants
• Soil carbon sequestration
• Sustainable food systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. 1% Pledge Program: Restaurants commit 1% of sales to the Restore Fund through an opt-out surcharge on customer bills or menu price increase. This pooled funding is disbursed annually to smallholder farmers transitioning to regenerative practices.
2. Direct Donations: Individual and corporate donations accepted via credit card (through Stripe), bank transfer (HSBC), or FPS. Donations support regenerative farmers in the region to build soil microbiology, restore soil health, and sequester carbon.
3. Campaign Collaborations: Time-bound campaigns such as Earth Month pledges or pop-up events where restaurants pledge specific amounts or proceeds from designated menu items to support climate action.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with hospitality groups (e.g., Hyatt Hotels Hong Kong) where exclusive funding is directed to specific regional projects like Wawee Valley Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Zero Foodprint Asia operates a table-to-farm crowdfunding model that mobilizes food and beverage businesses to fund regenerative agriculture. Restaurants, cafes, bars, and food retailers pledge 1% of sales (via a customer opt-out surcharge or menu price increase), which ZFPA pools into the Restore Fund and disburses annually as grants to smallholder farmers transitioning to regenerative practices, supplemented by technical assistance and soil health monitoring.

Product overview

Zero Foodprint Asia operates as a non-profit organization mobilizing the food industry around soil regeneration through a table-to-farm model. The core offering consists of the 1% Pledge Program, where restaurants and food businesses pledge 1% of sales to fund regenerative farming, and the Restore Fund, which disburses grants to smallholder farmers. The organization funds and supports multiple regional projects including Complex Rice Systems in Indonesia, agroforestry in Nepal, reforestation in the Philippines, and regenerative farms in Thailand and Malaysia. Each project employs specific regenerative methodologies such as CRS for rice farming, with technical support from soil health consultants and monitoring through soil organic carbon testing. The product portfolio centers on crowdfunding from food businesses to finance farmer grants, paired with hands-on capacity building and ecological monitoring across Southeast Asian farming communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Restore Fund: Grant program that disburses funds annually to farms in the region to help smallholder farmers transition to regenerative practices.
• 1% Pledge

Products and services

• 1% Pledge Program A pledge program where restaurants, cafes, bars, and food retailers commit 1% of sales to fund regenerative farming grants through the Restore Fund. The mechanism uses a customer opt-out surcharge on bills or a 1% menu price increase, pooling contributions for annual disbursement to smallholder farmers.
• Restore Fund Annual grant program that disburses pooled 1% pledge funds and donations to smallholder farmers across Asia to support their transition to regenerative farming practices, with technical assistance from soil health consultants and rigorous monitoring frameworks.
• Restore Grants (Regional) Regional grant program for farmers in Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Nepal, and Indonesia to adopt regenerative agriculture practices, with funding up to USD 25,000 per project.
• Restore in Action (Hong Kong) Hong Kong-specific farm projects supporting local smallholder farmers transitioning to regenerative practices, with consultant support and soil health monitoring.
• Farm SOILution A 32,300 sq.ft regenerative agriculture hub in Fanling, Hong Kong, serving as a living demonstration of sustainable farming with 36 hands-on workshops and community farming sessions.
• Regenerative Model Farm Hub (Malaysia) A comprehensive regenerative agriculture model farm and training hub in Malaysia, partnering with reNature and Dr. Patricia King to establish training infrastructure across Perak and Sarawak.
• Green Intelligence Project (Nepal) An agroforestry project in Bagmati, Nepal establishing regenerative farms for food and medicine, with market links and youth engagement in farming. Two model farms in Dhulikel and Sunkhani aim to empower 300 smallholder farmers.
• Tribes & Natures Defenders (Philippines) A native reforestation and agroforestry project in Mindanao, Philippines supporting indigenous communities to restore denuded mountains and protect tribal identity.
• Wawee Valley Foundation Project (Thailand) A regenerative organic valley project in Northern Thailand, developing diversified cropping systems integrating coffee, cacao, turmeric, and other crops with hen production across 100,000 acres.
• Donations Platform Direct donation functionality enabling supporters to contribute funds for regenerative farmer support, with one-time and monthly donation options. Preset amounts of $20, $50, $100 USD plus custom amounts, processed via Stripe, HSBC bank transfer, or FPS.

Quantifiable outcome

• HKD 8.35M in grants awarded across 33 farm projects
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• reNaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerreNature supports ZFPA's transition to regenerative agriculture across the supply chain, from smallholder farmers to large corporations. Their team of market experts, project managers, agronomists, and regenerative agriculture experts designs and implements model farms and trains farmers. reNature has been a key partner for projects including Astungkara Way (Bali), Wawee Valley (Thailand), Regenerative Model Farm Hub (Malaysia), and Green Intelligence (Nepal).
• Astungkara WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA cooperative of 220 farmers (mostly Balinese) managing about 100 hectares of farmland. Astungkara Way cultivates a regenerative future for both travel and farming, reconnecting visitors with the land. ZFPA has supported Astungkara Way for over two years to scale regenerative rice farming through Complex Rice Systems (CRS) across 8 Subaks with 138 active farmers.
• Wawee Valley FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wawee Valley Foundation was established in 2022 by Hilltribe Organics to transform the Wawee Valley (100,000 acres, 27,000 inhabitants) through regenerative organic agriculture. The 18-month project commencing July 2024 is funded exclusively by Hyatt Hotels Hong Kong 1% pledges, focusing on climate-proofing farmers in Northern Thailand through diversified crops including chia, turmeric, moringa, tea, coffee, and cacao.
• The Green IntelligencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Green Intelligence partners with ZFPA on an agroforestry project in Nepal's Bagmati region. The project establishes two model farms in Dhulikel and Sunkhani, aiming to empower 300 smallholder farmers to transition to regenerative agroforestry systems with over 500 trees planted and estimated carbon sequestration of 18,441 tons over ten years.
• Dr. Patricia KingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Patricia King, a leading expert in regenerative agriculture, is guiding the Regenerative Model Farm Hub project in Malaysia. She is a professor and soil scientist who leads fieldwork with reNature and local partners, including collaboration with Sarawak Department of Agriculture and Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak (UPMS) students.
• Aspen Impact Foundation (AIF)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAIF partners with ZFPA and SHE Intelligence on the Malaysia pilot project, selecting initial seven farm sites across Penang, Selangor, and Pahang to lead the regenerative transition in Malaysia.
• SHE™ Intelligence (Soil Health Expert)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSHE Intelligence partners with ZFPA and AIF on the Malaysia pilot project, contributing soil health expertise and the SHE framework for assessing and guiding regenerative farm transitions.
• Hyatt Hotels Hong KongflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHyatt Hotels in Hong Kong (Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Hyatt Regency Sha Tin, Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui) contribute 1% pledges from their restaurant operations to fund regenerative agriculture projects including Wawee Valley Foundation, Regenerative Model Farm Hub Malaysia, Tribes & Natures Defenders Philippines, and Green Intelligence Nepal.
• Maximal Concepts (Limewood)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMaximal Concepts operates Limewood restaurant in Hong Kong and is a committed 1% pledge partner supporting ZFPA's Restore Fund for regenerative agriculture.
• MOTT 32coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHong Kong restaurant MOTT 32 is a committed 1% pledge partner supporting ZFPA's regenerative agriculture initiatives.
• Hiltribe OrganicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHIlltribe Organics (HTO) founded in 2013 to revitalize poor hilltribe farming communities through organic agriculture. HTO launched Thailand's first organic, free-range eggs and has positively impacted more than 250 families. HTO established the Wawee Valley Foundation in 2022.
• Homeland GreencoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHomeland Green provides soil expertise and training for Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs) in Hong Kong's Restore Fund program. Mrs. Mak from Homeland Green serves as soil expert visiting farms and providing regenerative farming guidance.
• Living Soil AsiaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLiving Soil Asia from Singapore joined the Restore Fund selection committee as new members. They are educators of soil health in Singapore and provide valuable insights to the selection process given the similar situation between HK and Singapore.
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)coreTechnology or IntegrationZFPA projects utilize the FAO TAPE (Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation) framework for evaluating regenerative agriculture performance, providing globally consistent, evidence-based assessment of regenerative systems.
• Dr. Uma KhumairohcoreTechnology or IntegrationDr. Uma Khumairoh from Brawijaya University and Farming Systems Ecology Group at Wageningen University developed the Complex Rice System (CRS) methodology that ZFPA projects implement for regenerative rice farming.
• Chinese University Hong Kong (CUHK)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCUHK provides laboratory technical support for soil testing conducted across ZFPA's Restore Fund grantee farms, supporting soil organic carbon analysis and soil health measurements.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rodale Institute: Pioneering nonprofit in organic and regenerative agriculture research with a 75+ year history. ZFPA's CRS methodology and soil health monitoring align with Rodale's research-driven approach to soil regeneration.
• Farmers Footprint: Nonprofit coalition advocating regenerative agriculture with documentary and storytelling assets similar to ZFPA's 'Dishing the Dirt' podcast. Focuses on farmer transition and consumer awareness across the food value chain.
• Kiss the Ground: 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes regenerative agriculture through storytelling, advocacy, and farmer support. Comparable mission of mobilizing food industry stakeholders around soil health, with similar advocacy and educational programming.
• The Carbon Underground: Nonprofit focused on soil health and regenerative agriculture as a climate solution, with corporate partnership programs. Comparable positioning around carbon sequestration via soil and food industry engagement.
• Zero Foodprint (Global): ZFPA's parent organization; operates the same 1% Pledge and Restore Fund model in the US with restaurants funding regenerative agriculture. Most directly comparable entity given shared mission, methodology, and brand.

Others

• 1% for the Planet: Nonprofit that certifies member companies donating 1% of sales to environmental causes. ZFPA is a recipient of 1% For the Planet funding (via Patagonia), and the 1% pledge mechanic is directly inspired by this membership model.
• Soil Health Institute: Nonprofit that develops soil health measurement standards (including protocols ZFPA uses for SOC monitoring). A scientific backbone that ZFPA leverages for M&E and Impact Report credibility.

Emerging players

• Common Ground (Regenerative Agriculture Documentary): Documentary and movement around regenerative agriculture featuring impact storytelling similar to ZFPA's 'Common Ground Screening' event. Comparable Western-led regenerative agriculture awareness and consumer engagement work.
• reNature: Regenerative agriculture consultancy and project implementor that is both a ZFPA partner and an emerging player in Asia. Operates model farms and provides TAPs, overlapping with ZFPA's Restore Fund grant deployment in Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, and Malaysia.
• Mad Agriculture: Nonprofit that provides capital and consulting to farmers transitioning to regenerative organic practices, with a model resembling ZFPA's Restore Fund grants and TA support. Comparable farmer-transition focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/zerofoodprintasia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zero-foodprint-asia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zero Foodprint Asia